Beyond Illusions
by BelleDayNight
Summary: Carnival life and Illusionists combine with ninjas. Itachi left behind his carnie roots to pursue a life of fame and fortune in the big city. He visits his uncle's carnival and grows an interest in Sakura, the former costar in his brother's show. Sai spies on his boss' competition in hopes of shutting it down. Can the pretty fortune teller, Ino, change his future?
1. Part I

**Summary:** Carnival life and Illusionists combine with ninjas and secret societies. Itachi left behind his carnie roots to pursue a life of fame and fortune in the big city. He happens across a flyer from his uncle's carnival. Itachi finds himself far more interested in Sakura, the costar in his brother's show, than in the glittering lights of the big time. Itachi x Sakura, Ino x Sai

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><p><strong>Beyond Illusions <strong>

**Part I:**

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><p>It was late and Itachi's show had been a success — as usual. His assistant Konan wore a shimmering lavender dress and had stunned everyone in the audience. Everyone except him. Nothing seemed to excite him anymore. He took his bow at the end of the performance and endured the thundering applause.<p>

When he left home five years ago, he thought it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. It was a chance to leave the mundane routine he'd experienced under his uncle's traveling troupe. Day in and day out, he faced the rubes that believed in the simple illusions he displayed for them. The awe on their faces was palatable, but there was more lint in his pockets than money at the end of the day.

Who knew fame would feel so empty? His pockets were full, as was his bank account, something that as a traveling performer he'd never had.

Konan and her boyfriend Yahiko invited him to join them for drinks, but he declined. He changed out of his glittery crimson and black cape and placed it in the closet of his dressing room. He took off his black suit and grabbed a pair of blue jeans, boots, and hooded sweatshirt. It was the start of autumn and the temperature outside was already cooling.

The sound of crinkling paper under his foot drew his attention. He looked down to see a colorful flyer stuck to the bottom of his boot. Itachi crouched down to pick it up and read the bold-faced type for the Konoha Carnival. Autumn also meant it was time for the traveling circuses. It was in the neighboring town for the next few weeks. Had Konan left the flyer outside his dressing room on purpose? According to the flyer, the headline act was: **Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno's Magical Miracles! **

His little brother had become the main act? He tried to remember who Sakura might be and all he could think of was pink. Was she that love-sick little girl that used to follow after his brother when they were kids? He chuckled at the idea. If he had stayed with the carnival, he'd have been saddled with some googly-eyed empty-headed assistant. At least Konan was cultured and intelligent. He didn't have to simplify his instructions to her using the language of an elementary school student. Most performers in the carnival barely made it to a middle-school equivalent education. What was the point of school when you learned all your skills by the age of twelve?

Itachi signaled for a taxi and asked to be dropped off at the Konoha Carnival. The driver chatted about how many passengers he'd taken to the carnival over the past two weeks. It was only in town for one more week. Itachi wasn't known for his verbosity, so instead of conversing he tipped the driver well. He didn't think the driver minded.

The carnival was as Itachi remembered. Bright, gaudy lights everywhere the eye could see. It was only a short while before closing, so the ticket lines were non-existent. There was only one person minding the ticketbooth at this point. The attendant was a young man with dark hair and dark eyes. He looked faintly familiar, but Itachi couldn't quite place him.

Itachi adjusted the hood of his sweatshirt before stepping in line, where he was immediately at the front. He gave the young man the required fee.

"Here you go, mister," the dark haired young man said, handing Itachi his entrance ticket. "The gates close in an hour so you might want to hurry."

Itachi pushed back his hood. Perhaps the boy would recognize him. "What's your name?" Itachi asked.

"Konohamaru Sarutobi," the teen answered. His dark eyes widened and he leaned closer. "Do I know you? You look familiar."

Itachi pulled the flyer out of his pocket and tapped his finger on the headliner. "Did I miss the last performance?"

"Ah! That's it! You look like Sasuke," Konohamaru said with a relieved sigh. "If you run, you should be able to catch the last half of it. It's on the west side of the grounds." He flipped off the light of his ticket booth. "Now, if you'll excuse me. You'll be the last admission of the evening."

Itachi stared after Konohamaru for a moment as the teen retreated inside of the carnival. He started to close the gate then gave Itachi a pointed look. Itachi pulled his hood back up and hurried inside.

"Sorry, there's no one to take your ticket. Genma is probably watching the last of the magic show. Do you want me to guide you there?" Konohamaru asked.

Itachi shook his head. "That's unnecessary, but thank you." He remembered exactly where the magic tent would be. He'd been part of it for most of his life. The carnival grounds was still plenty full of visitors. The roller coasters were rumbling and laughter rebounded off the metal and steel that built the bulk of the carnival.

He had to dodge and avoid many near collisions with sugar-high children, exhausted parents, and lovey-dovey teenagers looking for a place to —what did Konan call it? Snog. If memory served, the House of Mirrors was a popular retreat for such activity.

The magician's tent was crowded with an enraptured audience. There were no seats left and Itachi stood near the back, hidden in the shadows. He adjusted his hood. There was no need to draw attention away from his brother. This was Sasuke's time to shine. Itachi activated his bloodline, his Sharingan eyes, that allowed him to see beyond the illusions. There was a reason that the Uchiha family had so many natural illusionists.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Sakura was exhausted. This was the fifth and final performance that she and Sasuke had to perform. Just like with the first four audiences of the day, the crowd simply loved the show. Sakura smiled brightly and flourished her hands about. It was hard to keep up appearances, but that's what she did these days. She was an Illusionist.

When she and Sasuke were first teamed up a year ago, it had seemed like a dream come true. They had begun to date, but were taking things slow. They worked together daily, so they didn't want to rush things. It wasn't like they had been serious, at least not yet. Maybe a few shy kisses here or there, a couple of dinners, and some movies. When the touring season started six months ago, things changed.

It happened when they visited Uzushiogakure, a village in the land of whirlpools. She had befriended a wonderful young man by the name of Naruto. He'd expressed an interest in joining the circus. As a matter of fact, he was part of the traveling troupe now. And Sasuke had taken Naruto's cousin, Karin, to bed. Unfortunately, it was no illusion and while Sasuke apologized profusely, Sakura couldn't forgive him. Now, twenty towns later, they were still working together throughout the days and sometimes late into the nights. Many times, he tried to touch her or to kiss her, but she would have nothing of it. Though, to be honest, she did miss the handholding.

Sasuke warned her that one day he would quit trying. Frankly, Sakura looked forward to that day. She smiled brightly to the audience as she seemingly caused a baby tiger to appear out of no where. The tiger hated Sasuke, so this part of the show was all hers and was certainly a fan favorite.

Her tiger cub, Hajimari, loved the audience attention. After she finished her part, Sakura eased the cub back into her cage through one of the trapdoors in the stage. A movement in the back of the tent from a late-comer caught Sakura's eye. His face was hidden under a hood, but she could sense something about him.

It was the end of the performance and Sasuke held his hand out to her. Without any visible sign of her annoyance, Sakura grasped his hand and they bowed for the crowd. The audience expressed their appreciation by clapping loudly, whistling, and a standing ovation.

"Kiss her!" one of the audience members in the front shouted. Several others in the audience began to take up the call.

This wasn't the first time this request had been made, but ever since the Karin incident they'd ignored the suggestion.

Sakura would have been happy to ignore it that time too. She continued to smile on the outside, but inside she seethed as Sasuke threaded his fingers with hers and pulled her to him. He caught her off guard when he pressed his lips against hers. For a moment, Sakura was too stunned to react, but she quickly regrouped and with her free hand fisted in Sasuke's dark hair she bit his lip hard.

He jerked back with a grimace and they bowed once more for the crowd before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"What was that for?" Sasuke growled. He rubbed at his bloodied lip. "I was just giving the crowd what they asked for."

"If you want me to continue working with you, then we have to keep our relationship strictly professional, Sasuke," Sakura answered. She reached down and opened Hajimari's cage door and then picked up her tiger cub, holding the cuddly animal to her chest.

"This isn't working," Sasuke said throwing his hands into the air. He gestured between the two of them. "You and me. There needs to be chemistry onstage to make this act work."

"Every show has been sold out and received standing ovations. The act is working," Sakura said. She rubbed Hajimari behind the ears. She didn't point out that if Sasuke hadn't started sleeping around that there wouldn't be any problems with their chemistry.

Sasuke pulled out his chair and sat in it heavily. "I've asked Karin to be my assistant."

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that I'm the star," Sasuke said lacing his hands together and raising them to cradle the back of his head.

Sakura scoffed. "I believe the flyer says **Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno's Magical Miracles! **How do you figure you're the star?"

"My uncle owns this carnival," Sasuke said with a shrug. "I'm an Uchiha, therefore you're the expendable one of the two of us. I warned you there would come a time when I would stop trying with you."

Hajimari hissed at Sasuke, baring her sharp canines. Sasuke swallowed nervously.

Sakura hugged Hajimari and without a word to Sasuke, because she didn't trust herself to control her temper, left the tent and started for her trailer. She should have gone by Kiba's station to drop off Hajimari at her kennel, but she didn't want to be alone and she had some food for the cub back at her place. She had a feeling that Sasuke's relationship with Karin hadn't ended, but she had no idea it was so serious that he wanted to replace her in their act.

"Well, she can't have you," Sakura whispered to Hajimari. In spite of her resolve, Sakura felt her eyes well with tears. It didn't matter. She didn't need to see to make it back to her trailer. She just hoped that she didn't run into Naruto. She didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Careful," a deep voice warned. Strong hands fell to Sakura's shoulders, steadying her from running headlong into the man in front of her.

"Sorry," Sakura said, stepping back. She sniffed, still clutching Hajimari close to her chest. The tiger cub hadn't hissed at the man, which was unusual.

The man in front of her released her shoulders. He pushed back his hood and revealed a handsome face, dark onyx eyes, long hair, and a solemn expression. "I enjoyed your performance."

"Thanks," Sakura said with a quick, mechanical smile.

"I didn't realize the tiger was your pet," he continued.

"I work with several tigers. Hajimari is a special case. Her mother died recently and I have to care for her on an almost constant basis," Sakura explained. She rubbed the cat behind the ears.

"That's an interesting job description for a magician," he said.

"Illusionist," Sakura corrected automatically. She looked up into the man's eyes. They were familiar. "I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I do not know who you are."

A slow smile spread across his lips, as if pleased for not being recognized. "Itachi," he answered.

"Look, Itachi, I've had about all I can stand of cocky, handsome men for the evening. If you'll excuse me, I need to be elsewhere," Sakura said. She started to move past him.

"I won't excuse you," Itachi said.

Sakura turned around in surprise. "What?"

"I want to know why my brother did that to you on stage," Itachi explained.

"Your brother….," Sakura trailed off. Itachi. She knew that name! That was the name of Sasuke's older brother. He was the star Illusionist for years with the carnival. And then, a few years ago he'd left the circus life for bigger and better things. "You're Sasuke's older brother."

Itachi nodded. "And I've had quite a humbling experience this evening. No one has a clue as to who I am." He sighed and ran his hand through the length of his long hair. It was loose about his shoulders.

The bright lights of the carnival began to dim, the sounds of the rides started to quiet, and the crowds began to disperse. "They're about to shut down the carnival," Sakura pointed out. Itachi merely stared at her impassively. "If you'd like to continue this conversation why don't you come with me? I need to feed Hajimari."

"All right," Itachi agreed. "Where?"

"To my trailer," Sakura explained. She jostled Hajimari, shifting her weight.

Itachi's eyebrows shot up into his forehead, but he didn't make any sarcastic comments. "Lead the way."

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><p><em>AN: So...this is an AU story as you can tell. I missed writing Itachi x Sakura, so couldn't resist sharing this. I am intending this to be another ten chapter story, but who knows...it could grow...these things seem to evolve. I like carnival/circus stories and thought it would be fun to write a Naruto version of this. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this tease! _


	2. Part II

**Beyond Illusions**

**Part II:**

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><p>Sakura's trailer was only a short walk away from the performance tent, but past the privacy barrier separating the public part of the carnival from the performers. It was painted a bright red and there was a well-tended flower box under the window to the right of the front door. Inside was a set of bunk beds, an overstuffed dark green sofa, a dark wood coffee table piled high with travel magazines, medical journals, tarot cards, and a couple of coffee cups on coasters. There was a small kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, and toaster oven. It was a small trailer and it seemed that Sakura had a roommate. It was the complete antithesis to the Casino-Hotel penthouse apartment Itachi lived in with his spartan furniture and seemingly limitless space.<p>

"It's not much, but it's home," Sakura said. She gestured for Itachi to sit on the couch while she carried Hajimari into the kitchenette. She took a bottle of milk from the refrigerator and then sat next to Itachi on the couch. She tried to feed to cub, but it whined unhappily at the taste of the milk. "I know you don't like it cold, but I don't have time to warm it," Sakura apologized to it in a soothing voice.

Itachi's gaze roamed the trailer. The shag carpet that was common with these types of trailers was covered by a large dark blue floor rug with white cranes and dark green bamboo. Both beds were neatly made with colorful quilted comforters. For a carnie trailer, it was actually nice. His eyes fell to the woman next to him and the unsatisfied tiger cub in her arms. "What temperature does she like?" Itachi asked.

"The body temperature of a tigress. Roughly thirty-seven and a half degrees Celsius," Sakura explained. "I really wish this place had a stove. It makes it hard to heat these things and I don't trust using the microwave."

Itachi held out his hand. "May I?"

Sakura stared at him for a moment. "Fire affinity?"

"Fire and water," Itachi answered. If he wanted answers from her, he would share with her information about himself that was inconsequential. There was much he didn't know since his departure from the carnival life. He didn't think it mattered, until he saw the stranger that his brother had become. Who was that dark, spiteful egotist? This woman seemed to know the answers to that enigma.

"I'm always a little jealous of those with affinities to the natural elements. My foster father has affinity to lightning, earth, water, and fire." She handed him the bottle. She readjusted Hajimari in her lap and brushed her free hand over the cub's head.

Itachi could only think of one man with an affinity to so many elements. "Kakashi Hatake?"

Sakura nodded.

Itachi closed his palms around the cold bottle of milk. He focused his chakra and heated up the liquid within to the temperature Sakura quoted. "This should make her happier," Itachi said. He handed the bottle back to her and the tiger cub all too eagerly began to consume the liquid.

Sakura chuckled. "You keep that up and I might just keep you around." She sighed. "You have no idea how much I miss boiling a kettle of water on the stove for my tea."

"You drink tea?" Itachi asked. He gestured towards the coffee cups on the table.

"Hot tea. We have a coffee machine, but we just use it for the water," Sakura explained. She shrugged and Hajima purred happily with her bottle. "Neither Ino nor I care for the taste of coffee." She looked up and smiled at him. "You're a lot more helpful than your brother."

Itachi's gaze lingered on her jade colored eyes. It had been a while since someone spoke in normal conversation with him. He spent most of his time avoiding fans and serial gamblers that were more interested in his bank account than in his thoughts. He'd almost forgotten how nice a simple conversation around a coffee table could be.

"So, what is the cause of the animosity between you and Sasuke?"

"His arrogance," Sakura answered immediately. "Sasuke and I had been friends for a long time. He struggled trying to pull off an entire show on his own. Your uncle, Obito, personally worked with him for a while. And while Sasuke is quite talented with the Sharingan and his ability to manipulate time and space, his charisma sucks. He comes off as arrogant and rude. Obito thought I would compliment him on the stage." She tapped a finger against her temple. "I can see past genjutsus. I'm also better with the animals. And have perfect chakra control. My slight of hand is impeccable."

"You look better in sequined costumes too," Itachi added with a smirk. He was pleased by the bright blush across Sakura's cheeks. "But, that doesn't explain tonight's performance."

"You know how they say you shouldn't date your co-workers?" Sakura asked. "Well, we dated briefly. He cheated, then begged to be taken back, and when I refused, he decided to replace me with the girl he cheated on me with." She shook her head, her chin-length pink hair swung back and forth. "He seems to think that the show revolves around him." She took the empty bottle from Hajimari's mouth and set it on another coaster that sat unused on the coffee table. "Okay, sweetie, you know you can't stay here, right?"

For a very brief moment, Itachi thought she was talking to him.

Hajimari whined pitifully and batted her front paw against Sakura's chest.

"Kiba is probably wondering where you're at," Sakura pointed out.

"So you know about the Sharingan," Itachi stated. He'd thought it was a family secret. Their bloodline made them valuable. It was the primary skill that allowed his great grandfather Madara and his best friend Hashirama to create the traveling circus.

"My foster father is best friends with your uncle. There's not much I don't know about your family," Sakura answered.

That answered one question about why Sakura would be chosen to know the secret of the Sharingan and presented another question in its stead. "Kakashi Hatake is your foster father. Care to expand on that?" Itachi asked.

"Since I was twelve," Sakura answered. She rose fluidly to her feet, the tiger cub snuggled against her chest. "I don't know if that answers your question about me and your brother or not, but I really need to drop this one off with her family."

Itachi stood and beat Sakura to the door, he held it open for her. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with you a little more — one Illusionist to another."

Sakura smiled briefly. "All right," she agreed.

They walked in companionable silence. Sakura dropped off the tiger cub to Kiba Inuzuka. Itachi remembered the trainer's older sister well. His memories of Kiba were of a young boy covered in mud who lugged around his stark, white dog Akamaru everywhere.

"You know you can't keep babying her like this, Sakura," Kiba scolded as he placed the tiger cub into her holding area. "The other cats are going to become jealous."

Sakura grinned. "They know I love them all," she protested. "When do you think we'll start switching her over to solid foods?"

Kiba shrugged. "There's no reason we can't do it now. Her dentition is fine." He peered past Sakura at Itachi and quickly averted his gaze. "Who's your shadow?"

Itachi was used to people not being able to hold his gaze. He was rather intimidating. "Itachi," he answered. He dipped his head in greeting.

Kiba's mouth hung open in slack. "Itachi Uchiha?"

"That's the one. And unlike his brother, he has manners," Sakura answered.

"How is your sister, Hana? She was a very kind and skillful trainer in my day here," Itachi said. He scanned the room and found the familiar white dog. Like Kiba, the dog had grown in size too.

"She's good. She married a civilian last year so I'm running solo," Kiba explained.

"Solo?" Sakura asked with an arched eyebrow.

Kiba shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Tenten helps when she's not threatening me with bodily harm.

"Tenten is a weapons master," Sakura explained. "Don't volunteer to let her throw knives at you. She won't miss, but she'll give you a heart attack with how close she comes."

"I'll keep that in mind," Itachi murmured.

"You better go check on Ino," Kiba suggested. "She's been staring into that crystal ball of hers. You know how hard it is to draw her away from it."

Sakura nodded and laid her hand upon Itachi's shoulder. He stared down at her hand in surprise. No one ever touched him without permission. "It might take me a while with Ino. Do you want to finish our discussion another time?"

Itachi shook his head. "I will accompany you," he answered. They ventured away from the Inuzuka zoo. The carnival reminded him of a ghost town, but he knew that within the shadows lurked countless shinobi. They were watching him in curiosity. Surely, by now, someone had reported his presence to his uncle. "Why does Ino spend a significant amount of time with her crystal ball?"

"Oh, well, two weeks ago she was looking into the future of her long-time crush. And well, she saw his future and it didn't include her," Sakura answered. She chewed on her bottom lip worriedly. "She's not allowed to look into her own future, but she keeps staring, hoping for some clue as to what she should do."

"It sounds like she should steer clear of fortune telling," Itachi answered.

Sakura chuckled. "That would be difficult, seeing as its her job."

He wanted to redirect the conversation back to the woman beside him. "As an Illusionist, what is your preferred smoke and mirrors disappearance?" Itachi asked.

"Cherry blossoms," Sakura answered.

Itachi arched a brow. "Your name is Sakura. You burst into cherry blossoms?"

Sakura nodded. Then she crouched to the ground and vanished, leaving nothing but dark pink cherry blossoms fluttering to the ground. "I burst into cherry blossoms," she said tapping him on the shoulder from behind.

"I see," Itachi answered. It was an impressive substitution. Her ability with genjutsu must have been profound. His performance partner, Konan, in her substitution jutsu and subsequent relocation used paper in the form of various shapes or confetti.

"Do you turn into weasels?" Sakura teased.

Itachi mimicked her earlier move and vanished into a dark cloud of crows. He reappeared behind Sakura and tapped her shoulder. "Crows," he answered.

Sakura smiled. "I'm impressed. Sasuke can't do that."

Itachi frowned. It wasn't that hard of a feat for an Uchiha. He thought about the tarot cards in Sakura's trailer and the second bed. "Is Ino your roommate?"

Sakura turned towards him. "Yes she is. How did you know?"

"Deductive reasoning," Itachi answered. Sakura scowled. "The tarot cards on your coffee table and the fortune telling job." He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pants pocket. Itachi pulled it out and read the display. His manager, Jiraiya, texted wanting to know where he was. Itachi shoved the phone back in his pocket unanswered. Jiraiya may have been his manager, but he didn't need to know Itachi's every move.

"Sakura-chan!" A blonde man with bright blue eyes in a heinous orange suit ran towards them. "I heard about what happened in your last performance. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Naruto, I'm fine," Sakura answered with a warm smile. She hugged the orange-clad man. "How did you hear?"

"Sasuke was grouching about it," Naruto explained. "He dispelled one of my clones." He looked past Sakura and met Itachi's gaze. He sniffed and released Sakura from the hug. "You smell like an Uchiha," he said to Itachi.

"I smell?" Itachi asked in disbelief.

"Itachi this is Naruto Uzumaki," Sakura introduced. "Otherwise known as Multipleman."

Naruto held out his hand to Itachi. With only a moment of hesitation, again unused to being touched, Itachi shook his hand. "You create multiple clones?"

"Shadow clones. I can create more than anyone else." Naruto released his hand and tapped his nose. "And I have a keen sense of smell."

Itachi was sure there was more to Naruto than just a keen sense of smell. The chakra levels within the blond were intense.

"Choji and Shikamaru should be at the mess tent if you want to join me for some food?" Naruto offered. "You can tell me what exactly my idiotic best friend did to you this time. Hinata and Neji are there," he added. He waggled his eyebrows at the latter name.

Itachi didn't know this Neji, but already disliked him.

Sakura turned to Itachi. "Why don't you go on ahead with Naruto? He can tell you almost as much about Sasuke as I can. I'll join you both in a bit. I need to get Ino."

"Oh," Naruto's expression turned serious. "How is she?"

"Heart-broken," Sakura said with a sigh. She continued on without them and Itachi found himself alone in the company of Naruto Uzumaki.

"So, Itachi Uchiha, how do you know Sasuke?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"He's my younger brother," Itachi answered distractedly. He watched as Sakura's form disappeared into the distance. His phone buzzed again, but he ignored it.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

There was a soft glow of light coming from Ino's tent. Sakura pushed back the dark blue, glittery flap over the entrance. Her best friend sat at her cloth covered table peering into a crystal ball. The two guest chairs across from Ino were empty. The inside of the tent was dark, aside from the tapered candles at a taller table in the back. Ino's fancy set of tarot cards and the good luck charms she sold to customers were on that back table. Sakura sat in one of the unoccupied chairs.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Sakura asked, her voice laced in concern. Her heart ached for her friend. When Sasuke cheated on her, it was Ino that had helped her stay strong. Her confident, blonde best friend only let her cry for one night full of oreo cookies, vanilla ice cream, and hours of musicals streamed on the laptop they shared. After that, she wouldn't allow Sakura to mope about what could have been.

"Shush," Ino warned as she continued to stare into the crystal ball. She slapped her hands upon the tabletop and looked at Sakura with a grin. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Sakura asked.

"Something major was about to happen," Ino explained. She ripped off the purple scarf from over her hair and finger-combed through her golden locks. "Did you even look at the tarot cards I laid out this morning?"

Sakura shook her head. "I was reading a medical article," Sakura said.

"Why? Tsunade taught you all you could want to know," Ino protested.

"Because medicine is constantly evolving. I don't intend to be an Illusionist forever," Sakura answered. "Especially, if my co-host is trying to fire me."

"Sasuke has no real power," Ino argued. "Obito knows you're the reason that performance is such a success." She leaned closer to Sakura. "I was reading your future. It involves a tall, dark haired, handsome man."

"That describes half the men we know," Sakura said with a roll of her eyes. "Now come on, everyone's waiting at the cafeteria for a well-deserved dinner. Then it's off to bed."

"No, no!" Ino cried in frustration. She pressed her palms against her temples and closed her eyes in a moment of meditation. "Something about crows."

Sakura felt her blood go cold. "What did you say?" She knew that most of Ino's psychic powers were more of a mind-technique where she read the minds of her patrons. The tarot cards seemed more of a hobby. But, if she saw Itachi in her crystal ball, Sakura found herself re-evaluating Ino's skills.

"You have already met him?" Ino asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he's Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. He showed up for our last performance," Sakura admitted. "Which, might be our final performance. Sasuke wants to replace me with Karin."

"Who cares about Sasuke?" Ino asked with an impatient wave of her hand. She stood from the table and began to pace in the small confines of the tent. She tapped her fingers against her lips thoughtfully. "Something is about to happen. Something big. If this Itachi is already here, this it's going to start sooner than I realized."

"Ino, can you really know the future?" Sakura asked.

"Images, hints, teasing bits of knowledge," Ino answered. She began to blow out the candles. "I want to meet this Itachi. Then you're going to do a reading for me. You remember how to use the tarot cards?"

Sakura sighed. "I can shuffle cards, but you know I don't believe in this stuff."

"You better start believing," Ino said. She hooked her arm through Sakura's and pulled her outside of the tent.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Sai rested in his parked car with his feet on the dash. As he suspected, leaving the flyer promoting the magic act enticed Itachi to visit the circus. Using a simple genjutsu, Sai had adopted the role of talkative taxi-driver and dropped his target off at the gates.

He welcomed back one of his ink rats that he created to trail after Itachi. There were still two more such creatures lurking inside the closed gates of the carnival. So far, his mission was going smoothly. Commander Danzo ordered him to investigate the Konoha Carnival.

For years, his superior officer had been suspicious of the traveling circus. Sai's job was to reveal the secrets and expose the weakness of the troupe. It wasn't his first stealth job, nor would it be his last. The limitation of time was Sai's only real challenge in the current mission. The carnival would close its gates to the public by the end of the next week.

Sai opened a blank scroll and his ink spy jumped upon the paper. It exploded into a splattering of script revealing the secrets it witnessed in the last few hours. The **Magical Miracles** act had a dramatic conclusion of conflict between the two stars.

"Not in the script, I imagine," Sai muttered.

He smiled in satisfaction as he continued reading. Itachi had been given the grand tour of the behind the scenes. If his other ink rats were half as successful as the first, he'd have a basic idea of all the key players within the troupe before he infiltrated himself in a few days.

"Commander Danzo will be pleased."

* * *

><p><em>AN: I wanted to thank those of you that decided to check this story out. And especially for your reviews! This story should be pretty entertaining! And if you watch American Horror, season four will be Carnival themed. Special thanks to **shotgunhero** for taking the time to beta this chapter and for giving some helpful tips! Also, anyone else playing Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution? My husband got me the Samurai Sakura form! It's totally awesome! My favorite team: Sakura, Itachi, Kakashi...so far I'm unbeatable with them!_


	3. Part III

**Beyond Illusions**

**Part III:**

* * *

><p>Sakura smiled with genuine contentment by the time she and Ino joined their friends at the mess tent. She wasn't surprised to discover Sasuke wasn't present, but that handsome Neji Hyuga was there. As was Itachi. She nudged Ino's side with her elbow. "That's him. That's Itachi Uchiha, the one on Naruto's left."<p>

Ino nodded. "He matches the description," she murmured. "I'm famished, let's go before there's nothing left! It looks like Kiba is going back for seconds!"

"Ha, more like thirds," Sakura teased. She and Ino loaded up a couple of plates with the food that was left. It was cold, but then, they were quite tardy.

"Over here, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said waving to the two vacant seats in front of him and Itachi. "I saved you and Ino some seats."

Sakura sat across from Itachi. She stirred her food idly as she gazed at the others at the table. Her appetite was lost now that the food was cold. "Where's Hinata?" It was strange to see Naruto not sitting next to the dark-haired beauty. Though, with Multiple Man's affinity for making strongly realistic clones, it was quite possible that the real Naruto was alongside his lady while the friendly man in front of her was a clone.

"Went to bed early," Naruto pouted, stabbing at the noodles on his plate with his chopsticks . "She has a new routine she wanted to practice in the morning."

"They're going to try a new routine in the last week of our touring season?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Well, mostly she's modifying an existing part," Naruto explained.

She looked down the table towards Neji and caught his eye. He dipped his chin slightly to acknowledge her. It was surprising that he'd let Hinata practice something new without his supervision. She forked a serving of her dinner, brought the food near her mouth, and then set it back uneaten on the plate. From her peripheral vision she watched Itachi. His plate was empty and he was calmly drinking from his glass of water. She hadn't noticed before, but he wore an unique necklace, a thin silver chain with three metal rings that reminded her of washers. She'd never seen such a piece of jewelry.

Sakura straightened as she felt a strong, cool presence approach her. "She's working on the swing routine," Neji said. His hand lightly touched Sakura's shoulder and he peered down at her with his eerily beautiful opaque eyes. He cast an annoyed look at Naruto and then focused his gaze on Itachi. "It was good to meet you, Uchiha. I am pleased to learn that you are more akin to your honorable uncle than that brother of yours."

Itachi snorted, an amused sound, but said nothing.

"Neji," Sakura warned softly.

The acrobatic Hyuga met her eyes again. "I heard about your last performance. Let me know if you need any assistance. And if you would be so kind as to supervise our practice tomorrow, I would appreciate it." He released her shoulder and walked out of the mess tent.

"I can't believe he talked to you," Ino whispered excitedly in Sakura's ear.

Sakura shook her head slightly, she couldn't believe it either. Normally, if she supervised the Hyuga acrobatic routine it was at Hinata's request. Or Obito's. There had been a few times where broken bones had needed mended from a trick gone wrong. This was the first time that Neji had asked. She glanced across the table at Itachi. He watched her silently. Why was she so popular that evening? Maybe she should bite Sasuke more often, if it brought her the attention of so many handsome men. Her stomach sank suddenly. What would her foster-father think when he heard? She stared down at her food.

"What's wrong with your dinner?" Naruto asked. "You've hardly touched it, aside from rearranging it."

"Cold," Sakura answered absently.

"May I?" Itachi asked.

Sakura's attention snapped back to Itachi. He gestured towards her plate and she remembered his warming jutsu from when they were in the trailer. She nodded her permission and watched as Itachi picked up her plate with one hand and held the other hovering over the surface. His hands heated substantially and he set a steaming meal back in front of her. Ino immediately handed him her plate as well.

"I'll say it again, you're pretty handy," Sakura said with a grin. She forked a large helping of the suddenly appetizing dinner and closed her eyes in bliss once the warm food hit her taste buds. She pointed her empty fork at Itachi after she swallowed. "How long are you planning to stay?"

"Ah, he's stranded," Naruto interjected. "Took a taxi that's long gone by now." He grinned, his blue eyes bright with excitement. "He's going to stay with me and Konohamaru for the night."

Sakura shifted her gaze back to Itachi in confusion. "You're not staying with your brother?"

Itachi barely lifted his shoulder in a shrug. "I have yet to see him."

"Makes sense," Sakura said quietly staring down at her plate again. It was quite likely that Sasuke didn't have any extra accommodations for another guest. He probably already had a certain redhead visitor in his bed. She ate the rest of her meal in silence.

A constant buzz of conversation surrounded the table. Choji's stories were generally the most amusing as he shared tales of arrogant men trying to challenge him in a contest of strength. The greater the arrogance, the greater the sputtering of rage. As long as Choji had a full belly, he was unbeatable.

Ino stared at Itachi with the intense look that Sakura associated with one of her psychic moments. Itachi shifted his onyx eyes towards her. "Yes? Ino, was it?"

"You can meet Sakura for breakfast in the morning. She'll be awake by nine. She has the day off and will be able to show you around," Ino stated.

Sakura rubbed the center of her forehead. Ino was her best friend, but her psychic gift sometimes was a bit exhausting. There was no mystery or room for spontaneity with her best friend around. "Are you sure?" she said, angling herself towards Ino. "What if I sleep until nine thirty? Besides, I do have plans. I'll be supervising the Hyuga acrobats."

"She won't sleep past nine," Ino assured Itachi, ignoring Sakura like she usually did whenever she expressed any doubt in the blonde's gift. "The carnival doesn't open until noon anyway. I'll drop off some breakfast for you both before I start my morning run." She tugged on a strand of Sakura's loose hair. "Besides, you won't work with the Hyugas until eleven thirty."

Naruto stared at Ino with a slack jaw. He blinked a few times before closing his mouth and turning back to Sakura. "I'll drop him off before me and Konohamaru spar then."

"If you'd rather speak with your brother," Sakura started.

Itachi held up his hand. "I'll speak with him in due time. Naruto has given me an excellent idea of the current acts. I would enjoy a guided tour in the morning." He finished the water in his glass and set it on the table. "It would be fascinating to observe the Hyuga acrobatic act practice."

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

The next morning, Ino jogged briskly from the mess tent after picking up breakfast for her roommate and Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Yummily-Delicious. She scanned the carnival grounds. It was a ghost town this early in the morning, but it felt as if someone was watching her. A dark blur rushed right past her and then vanished under the red trailer. She continued on inside her residence and set the food on the coffee table.

On the lowest level of the stairs, she closed her eyes in concentration for a moment. Her suspicions were validated. It wasn't a living creature lurking under the trailer, but she was still able to see its future movements.

Using her mind's eye, she reached down and snatched up the black rat. She watched as it burst into black butterflies and took off for the sky. "Okay, that was weird," she murmured. She kept her eyes trained on the retreating butterflies and started her run in their direction.

Before long there was no sign of them, but they had headed towards the front gates. She raised a finger to her temple and concentrated. She scoured the area just past the gates for any stray thoughts, but all she found was emptiness. Either there was no one there, or whomever it was knew how to mask their thoughts completely.

Naruto, with Itachi in tow, walked briskly in her direction. "Good morning. I don't suppose you two noticed a swarm of black butterflies rush past you?"

"No," Naruto answered. He rubbed his knuckle in his eye. "Though, to be honest I'm still half asleep." He gestured his thumb in Itachi's direction. "Konohamaru wouldn't let this guy sleep last night. Kept asking him all sort of questions."

"I did not mind the questions," Itachi assured him. His dark eyes scanned the sky all around. "When did these butterflies come in this direction? It's the wrong time of year for a migration of any species of which I'm familiar."

"They weren't real butterflies. I noticed a black rat following me about. I snatched it from under the trailer and it burst into hundreds of butterflies," Ino explained. She ran her fingers through her hair in agitation. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Did it look like this?" Itachi vanished before their eyes, leaving behind a score of black crows. Then he reappeared behind them. Ino and Naruto stared at him with slackened jaws. "A substitution jutsu."

"It wasn't like that," Ino answered, shaking her head. "Both of you be careful. I'm almost certain it was some sort of observational jutsu. The guests to our carnival might not be aware of our real jobs, but I'm sure not the whole world is ignorant."

"Sorry, Itachi, but I've got to inform Obito and Kakashi of this right away." Naruto took off in the direction of the owners' trailers.

"I would ask if you needed help, but I can tell you know exactly where to go," Ino said with a grin. Naruto was in charge of security. He, Obito, and Kakashi would take care of the situation. A nice ten kilometer run was calling for attention. Besides, she needed to burn off that slice of chocolate cake she'd had last night. And maybe she'd extend her run past the carnival grounds and keep her eyes open for any suspicious figures.

"Don't worry about me. I'll keep alert for anything suspicious," Itachi assured her. "Your friend will be safe in my company."

Ino snorted in amusement. "Oh, I'm not worried about Sakura. If anyone can take care of themselves, it's her."

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

The phone in Itachi's pocket buzzed again. He pulled it out and noticed a text message from his manager Jiraiya. He wanted to know where he was. Itachi texted the response, 'I'm visiting the Konoha Carnival. Watched my brother's show.'

Jiraiya texted back, 'About time you take a vacation. Be back by Thursday night for a performance. Konan and Yahiko will cover in the mean time.'

Itachi wrote, 'Thanks, boss. Let Konan know I'm grateful she left that flyer behind.'

Itachi shoved his phone back in his pocket and started to jog towards the red trailer. He was mildly curious about how his brother would react to knowing that Itachi was at the carnival and had yet to speak with him. He reached the door to Sakura's place and knocked briskly.

Sakura opened the door with a bright smile. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and she wore a red sleeveless shirt and a pair of black capris. She was barefoot, her toenails painted a jade green that matched her eyes. "Come on in! Breakfast is still fresh. You just missed Ino."

"I passed her on the way over," Itachi said, stepping inside. He sat on the couch and his mouth watered at the scent of the fresh omelettes, bacon, and biscuits waiting for him on the coffee table. "She felt she was being followed by a black rat and when she caught it, it transformed into hundreds of butterflies that made an escape towards the front of the carnival."

Sakura almost dropped the two empty mugs she was balancing, but caught them quickly. "That's odd. Have you ever seen anything like that?"

"Aside from my own apparent bursting into crows?" Itachi asked. "I assume it is most likely an observation jutsu. The question is why would someone by spying?"

"Still, I don't like it. Especially with the carnival season coming to an end so soon." Sakura sat next to him on the couch, setting the mugs on the table. A pot of tea rested on a trivet in the middle of the table. "Would you mind heating that up?"

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. The girl was growing comfortable around him in a short while, expecting him to heat her tea. He lifted the teapot and warmed the liquid within. "Jasmine tea, nice," he said, setting it back on the trivet. He watched as Sakura poured the liquid into the two mugs.

"So, what do you want to know, Itachi Uchiha?" Sakura asked. She held a mug between her hands and blew on the hot tea.

Why was he so curious about her? "The cats, why do you work with them?"

Sakura shrugged. "I trained as a medic for a while. I apprentice under a great surgeon, but with the carnival's travels I don't see her much. I was helping Kiba with the animals one day and I discovered I had a certain knack with the big cats."

Itachi sipped from his mug calmly. Was it her affinity to cats that drew his little brother to Sakura? The Uchiha clan was closely associated with cats. "Your foster father has a contract with dogs, does he not?"

Sakura smiled over her mug and set it down. "Would you believe that I have a contract with slugs?"

Itachi choked on his tea and Sakura hit her palm between his shoulders gently. "I'm okay," he assured her, setting his mug aside. "You have a natural talent with genjutsu?"

"It used to drive Sasuke mad that I could see past his illusions," Sakura said, her eyes seemed to focus on a fond memory as a small grin spread across her lips. "We worked together smoothly in the beginning. It wasn't until we visited Whirlpool that we started having problems." She stared at the plate of cooling food. "We better eat before this hearty breakfast grows cold."

"I can always heat it up," Itachi reminded her.

Sakura chuckled. "I suppose you can." She leaned back, leaving the breakfast untouched, and closed her eyes. "Why did you leave the carnival life, Itachi? Kakashi had only just brought me into this family right before you left, but I remember you." She opened her eyes, jade pools stared searchingly at Itachi. Her blatant curiosity penetrated Itachi's defenses better than any coy prying might have.

"I left after my best friend went missing," Itachi answered, taking a slice of bacon. He took a bite and was surprised by the rich flavor. He expected something rubbery and hardly palatable. "This is really good."

"Do you believe in tarot cards?" Sakura asked abruptly.

Itachi finished his first slice of bacon and was halfway through the second. "I suppose there might be some art to them. Personally, I have no use for them."

"Ino believes in them," Sakura said. She reached for a slice of bacon just as Itachi reached for his third piece. Their hands brushed against each other. The moment they touched it felt like a sharp shock of electricity had shot down his fingertips to his arm. Itachi retracted his hand slowly, finding himself falling into Sakura's jade gaze. "Why the nail polish?"

Itachi had opened his mouth to apologize, but snapped it shut at her unexpected question. "Pardon?"

"Your nails? Why are they painted purple?"

A chuckle escaped Itachi's lips. "It started as a joke with my old friend when I was a kid." He stared down at his hands and examined his chipped nails. "I don't suppose you have any dark purple nail polish I can borrow for a touch up?"

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure we can search around. It can be our mission for the morning. The quest for the purple nail polish!"

Itachi found himself staring at her again, curious about her friendly smiles and easy laughter. He could feel his carefully constructed guard starting to slip around her.

There was a sharp knock at the door that broke him out of his revere.

"I'll just go see who's at the door," Sakura murmured. She pushed off the couch and Itachi felt her absence keenly. She pushed aside the curtain on the door and then hurried to open the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Look, we need to talk," Sasuke stated. "Can I come in?"

"Now may not be a good time. I have company," Sakura said, blocking the door.

"What?" Sasuke growled. "It's not even ten. Did someone stay the night?" His eyes flashed in anger. "Is that damned Hyuga in here?"

"Not that it's any of your business if she did have someone stay the night," Itachi said, joining Sakura at the door. He felt a smug satisfaction as his arrogant, younger brother's face paled in shock. "Good morning, little brother."

"Itachi," Sasuke whispered, his eyes wide in shock. He shook his head and his usual scowl returned to his face.

Sakura opened the door fully. "I told you, you should have talked to him last night," Sakura murmured quietly to Itachi.

"You were here? Last night? With her?" Sasuke demanded angrily, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

"It's none of your business," Itachi goaded. He sauntered back to the couch like he owned the place and helped himself to more breakfast.

"There's plenty of food for us all. Why don't you join us for breakfast and tell me what's on your mind?" Sakura suggested calmly. She sat next to Itachi and picked up a plate of eggs. She held it out for Itachi and he warmed it for her.

Sasuke stared at them incredulously. He shook his head and then sat in the overstuffed arm chair. "When did you get here?"

"I believe you came to talk to Sakura. You can talk to me later. I'm not going anywhere just yet," Itachi answered.

"I wanted to apologize," Sasuke said, reluctantly dragging his eyes over to Sakura. "I was rash."

"Let me guess, you asked Obito about replacing me with Karin and he rejected your offer," Sakura interrupted.

Sasuke's lips thinned in annoyance. He glared at Sakura. "This is why we can't work together! You think you know everything."

"I think the two of you should split up," Itachi suggested, before Sakura could answer.

"What?" Sasuke and Sakura echoed. They both frowned, annoyed to have spoken simultaneously.

"I'll go with you to speak with Uncle Obito about the matter. I'll help convince him to let you perform with your new assistant," Itachi explained. He shifted his gaze to meet Sakura's accusing stare. "And I will assist Sakura in her shows."

"But, don't you have a career at the casinos?" Sakura protested. "You're famous, why would you waste your time here?"

The spying rat observational jutsu was enough to rouse his suspicions. It had been five years since his best friend went missing. It happened the last time the carnival had traveled through the region. Those behind Shisui's disappearance were still out there. Maybe this time he could catch them in the act and discover what happened to his friend. "It's only a week," Itachi said. "It will be fun." He leaned back on the couch and stretched out his legs before him. "I can't think of a better way to spend my vacation." A sly grin spread across his lips. "What's more entertaining than visiting my little brother and the talented Sakura Haruno."

Sakura blushed at his blatant flattery while Sasuke's scowl deepened.

Itachi's casual posture vanished, his muscles tensed, and he was alert. There was a scratching sound at the trailer's door.

"What is that?" Sasuke asked, his voice dark with annoyance.

"Pakkun," Sakura answered. She stared at Itachi for a moment, impressed by his ability to sense her foster-father's ninja dog messenger before either her or Sasuke noticed him. Itachi flicked his gaze to her and arched an eyebrow. Sakura flashed a nervous smile and then hurried to the door to let the pug inside.

"Is that bacon?" Pakkun asked, an eager wag to his curly tail.

"How many slices do you want?" Sakura asked, leading the dog to the table. She grabbed another two plates from the kitchen counter and brought them over. She gave one to Sasuke and set the other on the floor for Pakkun.

Pakkun's mouth watered. "I want twenty! But I should probably stick with two. Kakashi would be upset if my heart gave out from all the cholesterol." He looked up at Sakura, his dark eyes imploring. "Of course, you could probably fix that right up, yeah?"

"We'll compromise," Sakura said. She took three slices of bacon and placed them on his plate. "What brings you here? I know it wasn't the bacon."

Itachi watched in amusement as the small dog consumed each slice of bacon in rapid succession. "Kakashi wants to talk to you. Obito told him about how your partner wants to abandon your act," Pakkun explained, casting Sasuke a narrow-eyed look of dislike. He finished his third slice and then turned his head towards Itachi, looking at him from an angle. "You smell familiar."

Itachi held out his hand to the ninja dog. "Itachi Uchiha," he introduced himself. Pakkun sniffed his palm and then shook his paw with Itachi.

Pakkun's nose wrinkled. "Uchihas everywhere."

"Not as many as there used to be," Itachi said with a solemn expression. He finished his breakfast and took his plate to the kitchen to clean it in the sink. "We'll head directly there after breakfast."

"I see you're making decisions for the group now?" Sakura asked, her pale pink eyebrows arched high. Sasuke said nothing, but folded his arms over his chest in a huff, also displeased.

"As I am the eldest and most experienced - yes," Itachi said. He leaned against the door and tugged on his necklace in impatience. "And I suggest we hurry. I don't think Kakashi will be too pleased to have two men alone with his foster-daughter."

Sakura drained her mug. "As if I couldn't handle the two of you," she grumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Sai stared dispassionately at the pretty blond as she ran past his hiding location. She was the same one that had destroyed his ink spy. He had moved his vehicle so that it was parked five miles away, but he waited in a tree not far from the carnival's entrance. He felt a tingling sensation at the back of his mind. Of all the shinobi to gain the attention of, the mind-reading psychic was a great misfortune.

After his ink butterflies had returned to him, he'd used a special technique to protect his presence from the telepath. The technique removed all thoughts from his mind and sealed them within a scroll. He was nothing more than a recorder of the actions around him without a single thought. It was a risky technique. If he was discovered, he wouldn't be able to react. He would appear to a casual observe to be suffering from a catatonic state.

Eventually, the blond returned to the carnival and the technique wore off. The first thought to enter Sai's mind was that the runner was quite attractive. He wouldn't have to struggle too hard to feign interest in her when phase two of his observation began.

He hurried back to his car and wrote a report of his findings for the first twenty-four hours of his surveillance. He submitted it via ink hawk carrier before he started the hour drive between the carnival and the headquarters for root. Lord Danzo would have plenty of time to read the report and formulate his questions.

Exactly one hour later, Sai stood before the imposing desk of his superior and waited for the interrogation to begin. Lord Danzo drummed his fingers across his desktop impatiently while he stared at Sai with his lone, bored eye. The other eye was hidden behind an eyepatch.

When Sai first joined Root six years ago, there had been no eyepatch.

"This telepath, you think you can seduce her?" Danzo asked.

"Affirmative, Lord Danzo," Sai answered in a flat tone.

"You aren't worried that she'll read your mind?" Danzo raised his visible eyebrow skeptically.

"She's the perfect target. She is roommates with the female Illusionist. Both Uchiha brothers have an interest in her," Sai explained.

"Very well. Proceed with Phase Two," Danzo ordered.

Sai nodded curtly and then headed for the exit.

"One more request, before you go," Danzo called out. Sai paused at the door and turned back to his boss. "Pay a visit to our stubborn captive in cell sixty-three. See if he might have any intel to add that might help you with your job."

Sai doubted that a man held captive by Danzo would have any words of substance to aid in his mission. He suspected Danzo simply wanted him to taunt Shisui. The unfortunate Uchiha operative had been locked away for five years. He was the very best Konoha had to offer, but he'd been defeated and blinded by Danzo. His talented eyes stolen away from him.

Sai picked up the prisoner's ration of food and continued towards the detention center of the compound. Lord Danzo had many prisoners, including Sai's brother. Was his brother still alive? Sai had no idea, but he did know that if he was alive and Sai disobeyed, then he would be killed immediately. Though, while he knew his brother's face, he couldn't remember his name.

Was it Seth? Alex?

He shook his head. Names were inconsequential. For this mission, his name was Sai. On his previous mission his name had been Yusuke. Before that it was Hoji. A name did not define an individual.

The warden nodded in greeting and opened the barred door for Sai on the south wall. Of the twenty cells on the southern wall, only one was occupied. Lord Danzo would take no risks with the defeated Shisui. His persuasive Sharingan were no longer attached to his anatomy.

"Hello Sai," Shisui greeted, his ever present smile upon his lips.

Sai stared at him for a moment, once again caught unaware. He walked silently and yet the Uchiha always knew when he approached. "How did you know it was me?" Sai set the tray on the floor, pushed aside the small panel, and slid the tray inside the cell.

Shisui took the tray and sniffed the food. "At least it's cooked today," he murmured.

Sai watched as he picked through the rice with his bare hands, shoveling the food into his mouth greedily. Shisui guzzled the water from his tin cup and set it noisily back on his empty tray. "I can tell it's you, because you're so quiet," Shisui explained. "I can hear the warden open the gate to this wall so it's only a matter of picking through the behavior of the one approaching." He pointed to the bandage that covered his eye sockets. "A blind man must rely on his other senses."

"Tell me of the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha," Sai demanded.

Shisui's lips tightened in displeasure. "They're brothers, but they never were particularly close."

"Why not?"

"Sasuke was always an arrogant brat with a chip on his shoulder. He always wanted to measure up to his older brother." Shisui slid the tray back to the panel against the cell. "But, the thing is, Itachi is just naturally the best. At everything he does. He doesn't even have to try. And he's incredibly humble," he added with fondness, a slight smile graced his lips. "Just the right combination to give little Sasuke an inferiority complex and some irresolvable anger issues."

Sai took the tray and closed the panel. He stared at Shisui between the bars. The man had been defeated soundly five years ago and yet he seemed completely casual and carefree. "Is Itachi better than you?"

Shisui chuckled darkly. The unexpected sound unnerved Sai and he gripped the tray tightly. "If Danzo is after Itachi, he better have already made the arrangements for his funeral. When Itachi finds out I've been here, there's no where that old man will be able to run to."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Thanks for your support on this story and thanks to shotgunhero for beta-ing this chapter!_


	4. Part IV

**Beyond Illusions: **

**Part IV**

* * *

><p>Pakkun escorted the trio to Kakashi's trailer. They didn't speak during the short journey. Kakashi and Obito were outside the dark blue trailer at the wooden picnic table in front. There was a faded yellow trailer not too far away that belonged to Obito. Kakashi had his ledger where he sorted out the carnival's finances while Obito had his planner where he scheduled the performances.<p>

"I brought your daughter and two doses of trouble," Pakkun said, jumping onto the table and nudging Kakashi's elbow.

Kakashi looked up, his dark eyes slightly widened in surprise at seeing his foster-daughter flanked by the Uchiha brothers. "Naruto informed us about the spying ink creature," Kakashi stated. He gestured towards the bench on the unoccupied side of the table. "Have a seat."

"What brings you back, Itachi?" Obito asked. "Strange timing — a spy in our midst and my long-lost nephew suddenly showing up."

"Itachi had nothing to do with the spying," Sakura protested, sitting across from Kakashi. She missed the glower on Sasuke's face at her defense of his brother. He sat to her left on the bench and Itachi to her right. "He found a flyer for our show," she said, gesturing between her and Sasuke.

"Speaking of, I assume that Sasuke has told you that I refused his request of breaking up your act," Obito said. He set down his pen and folded his arms over his chest and cast his youngest nephew a disapproving scowl. "I can't believe you'd ask me such a thing."

"Actually, Uncle Obito, I would be in favor of you breaking up the act. Give my little brother a chance to work with a new assistant," Itachi drawled. "I would be happy to work with Sakura in an act for the remainder of the week."

"Don't you have your own show in the city?" Kakashi asked. "I remember Jiraiya bragging about recruiting your talent to his casino." He continued to calculate on his ledger, his pen scribbling numbers along the pages. "You have time to waste on our little low-scale carnival?"

"To be honest, sir, I see a talent in Sakura that I couldn't ignore," Itachi stated. "And I'm technically on vacation."

Sasuke scoffed. "Of course, you would work during your vacation."

The door to the yellow trailer opened and Rin stepped cautiously down the steps with a tray balanced in her hands. There were several cups stacked upon one another and a large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. She set it on the end of the table and leaned over to give Obito a quick peck on the cheek before sitting next to him on the bench. "Help yourselves, I made plenty for everyone."

Sakura took the pitcher and promptly began to pour juice in the half-dozen plastic cups. She passed them out to Rin, Obito, and Kakashi first. Then to herself and the two Uchiha brothers. "Sasuke and I could split the performances," Sakura explained. "He and Karin could go first and then an hour later, Itachi and I could perform our act."

"You think you can come up with an entire act in a day?" Obito asked in surprise. "I hardly think that's possible."

"They won't need to create a great many new routines, just split up the ones already in their act," Itachi elaborated. "I could add a few genjutsus and slights of hand while Sakura is preparing her cats." He looked over at Sasuke, his expression unreadable. "I assume if Sasuke approached you with the idea of having an act with Karin, he's already practiced a routine."

"I have," Sasuke confirmed.

His words were like a knife of betrayal digging between Sakura's shoulder blades. "Well then, Brutus, I suppose there's nothing more to discuss," she said with a glare at Sasuke. She stood from the bench and Itachi followed after her. "If you don't mind, I promised Neji that I'd supervise his and Hinata's practice this morning."

Obito picked up his cup and sloshed the liquid inside of it, staring down at it with a thoughtful expression. "I will consider two, shorter shows. Instead of the original combined performance we could captivate the audience by alternating the shows every hour, instead of one show every two hours. Sasuke, I want you and Karin in the practice tent forty-five minutes from now," Obito ordered Sasuke. He turned to Sakura. "You and Itachi will be there at noon. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Sakura agreed. She caught her foster-father's sympathetic eye, but he said nothing. She was just glad to have escaped a lecture about keeping company with strange men. No doubt, he would try later to guilt her into feeling bad about entertaining Itachi earlier. Either that, or he would soon threaten the older Uchiha brother with bodily harm.

"I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind," Itachi stated.

"Not yet," Obito protested, before Sakura could answer. "I'd like to speak with you for a bit more. Sasuke, escort Sakura to the acrobat tent. I'll see you shortly."

Itachi sat back on the bench and Sasuke rose to stand next to Sakura. The brothers exchanged dark looks of displeasure. It hadn't been a happy reunion between the two.

They were halfway towards the Hyuga cousins' tent before Sasuke said anything, yet his brooding spoke volumes. "Why are you helping the Hyugas? They hardly need your assistance."

"Because Neji asked," Sakura answered. Her hands clenched into fists at her side and it took a great deal of willpower not to knock Sasuke's head off his shoulders.

"Do you do everything Neji asks?"

"Since he asks and doesn't demand, yes."

Sasuke frowned and shoved his hands into his front pockets.

Hinata and Neji just finished their warmup stretches by the time Sakura and Sasuke arrived at the tent. Hinata smiled shyly while Neji nodded his head in greeting at Sakura and then stared at Sasuke for a moment. Sakura and Sasuke sat on the front row of the bleachers to observe. Hinata soared through the air on the swings while Neji caught her from where he balanced with his knees hooked over a swing while hanging upside down. A protective practice net was beneath them.

"Now try the flip," Neji said.

Hinata nodded and once she released her hands from her swing, rotated in the air, then outstretched her arms for Neji to grasp. His fingers grazed along her forearm, but she was too far for him to secure the hold. Hinata fell to the net below with a soft laugh of amusement.

"You under-rotated five degrees," Sasuke called out, his Sharingan activated as he watched the cousins. His eyes faded to onyx and he glared at Sakura. "Do you even care that I tried to replace you?"

Sakura stared at him with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you already had. Months ago." She folded her arms over her chest and redirected her attention towards the Hyuga cousins. Over the past few months she'd tolerated Sasuke. She looked forward to having some distance.

"Of course, you're not upset. You've already seduced my brother to be your partner," Sasuke grumbled darkly.

"You're not serious," she said incredulous, turning back towards him. "I've barely met Itachi. He volunteered."

"Sure you didn't send him a flyer about our performance? You had to have known I was grooming Karin for my assistant." Sasuke's mouth was set in a definitive frown.

"I was never your assistant, Sasuke. I was your partner and your friend." Sakura stood from the bench and stared down at him, meeting his bewildered gaze with a stony one. "When you remember that, you can talk to me again. Until then, leave me alone." She wandered towards the edge of the safety net and caught Neji's keen opaque gaze. "Will you be keeping the safety net up for the performance?"

Neji shook his head. "That's why we wanted you — just in case."

Sakura watched as Hinata climbed the rungs for the ladder to reach the swings with her lips pressed together in determination. She appreciated Hinata's increasingly courageous acts, though sometimes her courage bordered on reckless. Ever since Naruto joined the troupe, the shy Hyuga did her best to impress the brazen blond.

Hinata gripped the swings and tried the trick again. She flew through the air like a dark-haired angel. This time, Neji successfully caught her and they moved on to the next part of the performance. Perhaps if she did a teleportation substitution with doves, or butterflies, or something it would add a more magical element to the act. Maybe Itachi could help Hinata with the skill as the Byakugan and Sharingan had a fair amount in common.

"It looks like your shadow finally left." Neji gestured towards the tent's exit and Sasuke's retreating back.

"Obito wants him to practice his new act with Karin," Sakura explained.

"Oh, are you okay?" Hinata asked, her eyes bright with concern.

"I'm actually doing pretty well." Sakura smiled, thinking about her new charismatic friend.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Itachi Uchiha, now would it?" Neji asked. He jumped off the podium and landed smoothly on the net in front of Sakura. He sat on the edge, his legs dangled over the edge. "You two seemed friendly."

"I'll be sharing an act with him, while Sasuke learns it's not as easy as he thinks to run a successful Illusion act." Sakura offered her hand to Neji and he took it and stood next to her. "I have a couple of ideas that might make your act a bit more flashy."

"I'm just hoping to not fall and embarrass myself." Hinata wrung her hands together nervously and looked over her shoulder at the swings that hung idly in the air.

"How are you at substitution teleportation jutsus?" Sakura took a deep breath and then vanished before her friends' eyes, reappearing ten feet away, and leaving a cloud of cherry blossoms in her wake. "If by chance you did lose your grip, you could make that part of the show. And then I won't have to worry so much about you two not using a safety net."

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Sasuke and Karin's practice with Obito wasn't going very well. Itachi watched with a critical eye as they stumbled through some of the basics. Their timing was terrible and too often Karin was busy fawning over Sasuke and missed her cues. If Konan had seen this, she'd have beaten the redhead senseless for her lack of professionalism.

Itachi glanced over his shoulder in time to see Sakura enter the practice tent. Her cheeks were flushed and she smiled at him when their eyes met. Itachi dipped his head in acknowledgment and then turned his attention back to the train wreck on stage.

"You've seen this act a hundred times! Why can't you get this right?" Sasuke growled in frustration.

Karin yanked off her glasses and angrily wiped away tears from her cheeks. "I was too busy watching you, okay? I didn't notice what that other girl did."

Obito held his hands up for peace. "Stop this, both of you. I want you to go over the routine privately and return here in an hour. We'll try it again then."

Karin stormed out of the tent, but spared Sakura a distasteful glare as she passed. Sasuke followed at a sedate pace, his brow creased in frustration.

"I sincerely hope the two of you are more promising," Obito said tiredly. He sat down heavily on the stage and cradled his head between his hands. "I have the worst headache."

Sakura walked up the stage and crouched in front of Obito. "May I?"

Obito brought his hands down and nodded his assent. Sakura placed her fingertips at his temples. Her palms glowed green as healing chakra surged into him.

Itachi wasn't surprised by Obito's relaxed slouch that followed. Sakura had a real talent for medicine. Kakashi and Obito had explained as much to him during their private conversation earlier. Sakura's foster father had also warned him against taking advantage of Sakura's generosity.

"I think we should take advantage of Sakura's perfect chakra control," Itachi said. He did a series of hand signals and his form was replaced by an identical copy of Sakura. "We can create a series of timed jutsus that will allow us to confuse the audience. One of us can be locked inside a trunk with chains to prevent an escape and then after some smoke and curtains the trunk will be opened to reveal the opposite partner."

"Or one of my cats!" Sakura grinned. "The bait and switch illusions always impressed me as an audience member. Sasuke never wanted to try them."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not Sasuke," Itachi answered. He released his genjutsu and his true form reappeared. He had many more ideas thanks to his years of experimentation alongside Konan. "It might be daring to have a kunai throwing act."

"And let's include audience participation too," Sakura added. "I can't tell you the number of times little kids wave their hands eagerly in hopes of being chosen to help on stage."

"Sounds good. I love children," Itachi agreed easily.

The practice went surprisingly well. There was a chemistry between Itachi and Sakura that Obito commented on several occasions during the session. It was almost a shame they would only have a few days to perform together, unless Itachi could convince Sakura to return with him to the Casinos. Konan often lamented that she and Yahiko worked all the time and now that she was in the early weeks of pregnancy, she would need time off. Of course, she hadn't told Itachi that she was pregnant, but it was hard to ignore the extra chakra forming in her belly.

Sasuke and Karin returned to the tent, both with somber expressions.

Obito sighed deeply at spotting them. "I'd like to release some crows to observe outside and inside the carnival grounds for suspicious activity," Itachi said. "With your approval."

"That would be fine," Obito agreed.

Sakura approached Karin, ignoring Sasuke. "Karin, if you want any help with the routine, all you have to do is ask. I would be happy to help."

"Yeah right," Karin scoffed.

"We would appreciate that," Sasuke said.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

Ino straightened her tarot cards and prepared for her next customer. The afternoon had been steady with clients interested in knowing about their love life, any upcoming financial fortunes, and those that sought a last conversation with a lost one. She politely declined the latter requests. There were some doors that weren't meant to be opened.

There was a knock at the tent's entrance post. A handsome, dark-haired, pale skinned, dark eyed man walked inside. Ino's breath hitched in her chest at the sight of him. He looked like an alabaster statue chiseled to perfection and given life.

"You are the fortune teller?" he asked. His voice was smooth like honey.

Ino nodded. There was a nagging thought tugging at the back of her mind. She knew this man somehow, but she didn't know how just yet. "You have questions?"

The man eased into the chair opposite her. He stared at the crystal ball on the center of the table. "Does that really work?"

Ino smiled slyly. "Ask me a question and find out," she challenged.

"Can you see into the past?" His expression was neutral.

"Your past or in general?"

"Mine," he answered. "I'd like to know about my brother. He has been missing for years."

Ino nodded and stared into her crystal ball. She ran her palms over the cool surface and opened her mind's eye to the man's request. The crystal began to heat as the power within sifted through time and mystery. Her psychic abilities were a combination of her family's bloodline gift for telepathy coupled with a genuine predisposition of a psychic. The gift had been stronger in her than it had been in generations.

She could see two boys of like size. One was the man across from her and the other was fair-haired. The fair-haired boy laughed playfully in the scene playing in Ino's mind. He called the the dark-haired boy Sai and encouraged him to keep drawing. Sai's eyes sparkled with pleasure at the encouragement. The scene grew dark and suddenly the fair-haired boy was no longer in the picture. Only the dark-haired boy, Sai, was present. His eyes no longer showed pleasure, but an empty pain.

"What did you see?"

"Your name is Sai. Your fair-haired brother encouraged you to be an artist," Ino stated, her voice lacked inflection. She tried to explore the mist of the unknown and find what became of the brother. She could see an older man with an eye patch than many kneeled before. The fair-haired brother stood before the man with two soldiers in drab gray uniforms securing his arms and throwing him into some sort of dark prison cell.

"There is a man with an eye patch." Ino shook her head and the vision dissolved. She stared at her client. Sai's posture was rigid and his eyes wide in disbelief. "He lives. He was placed inside some dark prison cell by men in gray uniforms."

"I see," Sai stated. "Do you know his name?"

"It was never spoken in the scenes." Ino's lips thinned. "It may come to me later." She cleared her throat. "How about I read your palms or your tarot cards?"

Sai stared at her. "You know my name. What is yours?"

A seductive smile curled Ino's lips. "You don't think my name is Madame Mysterioso?" That was the name posted outside of her tent. There was no change in Sai's expression. "My name is Ino."

"To be named after a boar hardly suits you," Sai commented.

Ino shrugged. "My friends say I'm pretty stubborn. I'd say the name is pretty appropriate." She rubbed her stomach absently. She was starved. Maybe she could take a break after this client and grab a bite to eat. Using her abilities often left her famished.

"This may be inappropriate, but would you allow me to purchase you a meal?" Sai's expression was earnest and Ino found it hard to refuse.

"I was just thinking about taking a break," Ino consented. "I must have known you'd ask me out."

Sai nodded gravely. "Your talent must be a true burden."

Ino's stomach growled and she blushed in embarrassment. "You have no idea," she murmured.

* * *

><p><strong>OoO<strong>

The carnival was crowded with people of all ages. Children ran around, their faces sticky with cotton candy and their eyes glittered with excitement. Young lovers walked hand in hand looking for a cozy ride to snuggle with one another. Parents emptied their pockets with a joyful heart glad to partake on family oriented fun.

"I guess Cyclops didn't trust his little robot to get the job done, hm?" Deidara conversed quietly with his grim companion.

"As long as we get paid, I could care less." Sasori's dull crimson eyes scanned over the crowds. "This place is rich in materials," he murmured. His fingers twitched in anticipation. "The tent should be in the far east corner."

"Yeah, yeah." Deidara rolled his eyes. He had read Sai's report too and knew where to find The Flying Hyugas. He busied his hands molding hundreds of clay termite creatures. "Uchiha's presence is a hassle."

"That's why Hoshigaki was called in," Sasori answered.

"Hm." Deidara glanced up as his clay termites migrated through the ground towards their destination. He noticed the familiar crows that belonged to Itachi Uchiha. If he and Sasori had utilized genjutsus instead of prosthetics to hide their features they'd have been identified easily by the all knowing eye of Itachi's Sharingan.

Just in the last five years, Itachi Uchiha managed to thwart at least eighty percent of their mercenary band's jobs. Danzo thought Shisui Uchiha was a problem. He was nothing compared to the nuisance that was Itachi Uchiha.

"You look a little lost." A blond haired, blue eyed man with prominent whiskers on his cheeks approached them. While he had an easy smile on his lips, his eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

"Looking for the petting zoo, hm?" Deidara suggested. The last of the termites fell to the ground and he brushed his palms against the front of his pants.

"Oh." The blond visibly deflated. "You're not far," he answered. He pointed to the area to the right of them. "It's that way."

"Thank you," Sasori said in an overly polite tone.

They ventured over towards the petting zoo, the first part of their plan already in motion. The blond security guard hovered nearby, but it was too late for him to stop them.


End file.
